Security Breach
by Supreme Distraction
Summary: Raven drew her hood back up, concealing her own blush, but it was far too late to raise her defensive walls and hide the way she felt about the newest Titan. The way she felt about Terra. It seemed this little security breach had become so much more.


I've been on a hiatus-ish for those of you who regularly read my work ^^; But I'm coming back and finishing any incomplete works/requests—no worries! Meanwhile, here's some fluff.

 **Disclaimer: Distraction** does not own. Thanks go to **Grim Grave** for beta-ing this for me :3

 ** _lll_**

Raven shook her head, indigo orbs watching moodily from the feature-concealing shadow of her hood as she crossed her arms disapprovingly over her chest.

This new girl, this stranger—this _Terra—_ was bad news and her dukes were immediately up. Unfortunately, it seemed Robin was the only one who shared her misgivings and that would ultimately give way once the red-haired alien he was so sweet on (inevitably; naively) pledged her friendship to the newcomer.

It seemed she would have to deal with this little security breach herself.

* * *

Pizza is a teen's favourite food—and even the reclusive demon-alien hybrid was of no exception.

Raven chewed slowly, savouring the explosion of cheesiness as her friends and housemates argued good-naturedly about what topping they liked best. Beast Boy naturally advocated vegetables, denouncing the evils of meat-eating while Cyborg loudly defended "tasty animals" over whatever multi-syllabled alien topping Starfire was going on about. And Terra…

Well, who cared what she liked?

Once again, she and Robin were the odd ones out and the spiky-haired teen turned to look at the empath, his mouth full of pizza.

He swallowed his mouthful before asking, "Something wrong, Raven?" She shrugged, but he followed her lingering gaze to the blonde girl in their midst and nodded slowly. "She's pretty nice, you know. You should give her a chance."

' _Absolutely not.'_ Rather than voice the thought, the ashen-skinned Titan returned her attention to her food, clearly dismissing her leader.

It didn't matter what anyone said—she still didn't trust the earth-wielding teen.

* * *

Was it just her, or was the spacious Titan Tower starting to feel a little… Cramped?

Raven heaved a quiet sigh, the irritated slant of her brows concealed by her hood as she hunkered down, her gaze trained on the thick tome lying on the table before her. No matter how hard she tried, however, she couldn't find the concentration that she so desperately tried to grasp, her attention diverted towards the rambunctious Titans trading blows on the sofa sitting before the massive TV screen normally used for receiving emergency calls from the authorities.

Or, more importantly, the outsider who was laughing and joking along with them, egging both boys on as though she belonged there—as though she was _one of them_.

For some reason, the thought bothered the empath immensely.

"Hey, Raven, wanna play?"

The invitation was not an unusual one and neither were the two pairs of huge, pleading eyes focused, hopefully on the empath. What _was_ out of place was the added presence of another pair of pleading peepers—these the same clear blue as the sky and, for some reason, just a bit more… convincing—that were boring holes into her hood.

Raven hesitated—something she wasn't accustomed to doing—before shaking her head slightly, assuming a bland expression as she faced her onlookers head-on. "I'll pass."

"C'mon, Raven… Please?" Beastboy's lower lip trembled.

"Yeah, Raven; it'll be fun." Cyborg was wearing his most charming grin.

The purple-haired teen rounded on the blonde before she even got a chance to say her piece, her gaze impassive as she stared down the outsider, silently daring the girl to speak.

For her part, Terra didn't seem uneasy as most would upon receiving such a withering look. In fact, the young woman seemed… Intrigued?

What in the world?

Without another word, the Titan rose and left the room.

* * *

What was _she_ doing in here?

Raven didn't move, though her eyebrows drew together in an annoyed, near-imperceptible grimace. She turned her attention away from the intruder in favour of regulating her breathing, the soft chanting of, "Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos," slipping past her lips—a comfortingly familiar mantra.

… But why did she need comfort? The empath fell abruptly silent, her ire making it impossible for her to continue floating in her customary cross-legged position and she lowered herself gently to the ground, the lights flickering on as she looked up to the catwalk above, pinning her visitor with a look.

"…"

Terra lifted a hand, smiling sheepishly. "Uh… Hey. I didn't mean to disturb you."

"Well, you did." She crossed her arms over her chest to emphasize her displeasure, waiting impatiently for the blonde to speak up.

She didn't have to wait long. "I get the feeling you don't like me."

"I don't."

Finally, there was an expected response: a flinch and hurt feelings. Unexpectedly, however, the brief spike of pain that she sensed quickly gave way to something else entirely. It took the Titan a moment to realize what it was: determination.

"Why?"

" _Why?"_ indeed. Why was she filled with such disdain for this newcomer? Sure, Raven wasn't the most trusting of people, but for some reason, Terra rubbed her the wrong way.

"…"

The earth-wielding teen jumped down from the catwalk and crossed the expansive circular room that Cyborg used as a makeshift mechanic's shop—a place that was normally deserted unless the male was tinkering with some new and impressive invention—, stopping just short of her companion and placing her hand on narrow hips.

"Why?" she repeated, the stubborn set of her shoulders indicating that she wouldn't be leaving without an answer.

"I don't have to answer to you." The Titan turned to leave, her power wrapping around her feet in inky tendrils to allow her to pass through the cement below them, but a hand on the crook of her elbow stopped her short.

For some reason, the touch sent a hot spike along her spine and four eyes gleamed with an unholy red as Raven rounded on the other girl but, once again, there was no fear. Only curiosity.

Just who was this 'Terra' girl?

Terra removed the appendage slowly, holding both her hands up in a placating gesture, though pale lips quirked slightly at the corners as pure blue orbs wandered the empath's face. "That's… new…"

With a low growl, the purple-haired teen sank through the floor, the chilling sensation of momentarily becoming pure energy dispelling the heat that still lingered even after Terra had stopped touching her. Contact wasn't something that Raven encouraged and it certainly wasn't something she experienced regularly. Hell, even on her most cuddly of days, Starfire was careful to release the alien-demon hybrid long before the teen had to give her a bland warning look.

And yet… Fearless—or perhaps stupid—Terra had reached out and grabbed her.

Why did that fill the ashen-skinned teen with… respect?

* * *

"That looks like a good book."

For the past few days, it seemed the empath couldn't get a moment to herself; the Titans' visitor seemed to be everywhere at once. Strangely enough, hearing the girl's voice didn't fill her with irritation and she pondered upon that oddity as she carefully marked her page, indigo orbs sliding to the slender blonde girl.

"It is."

The radiant grin she got upon shifting her attention to Terra made the empath feel curiously warm and her mind flashed briefly to the other instances that the girl's attentions had had a similar effect… the first of which had been—

A hand rested on her forearm, tearing her from her thoughts and a perfectly arched eyebrow rose questioningly at the blonde.

"I was thinking of going on a walk," Terra was saying, nonplussed by the boundaries she was breaching. "Want to come?"

"…" She nodded slowly and the touch withdrew, its heat lingering even as the pair exited the room together.

* * *

"Hey, Raven, wanna play?"

This again?

This time, however, there was only one pair of azure orbs focused intently on the empath; the boys were arguing loudly over the results of their game while Starfire and Robin looked on.

She began to shake her head, only to receive an accusatory look from the blonde. "C'mon, Raven. Don't be stubborn."

"I'll pass."

"Okay, okay. What if I make it worth your while?"

Everyone else's attention was slipping slowly from the squabble, but somehow that didn't seem important. What mattered was the competitive spirit burning brightly within the shorter teen's eyes.

"… Are you suggesting a bet?"

"Yup! Unless you're chicken."

The corners of her lips quirked and, though she knew the rest of the Titans were gaping, the empath held out her hand, accepting both the controller and the challenge.

It wouldn't hurt to humour them… Just this once.

* * *

"You're hogging the blankets."

Breathe in… And out.

"Ugh. I'm freezing."

Don't get upset.

"Mm… _You're_ pretty warm."

When cold feet pressed against her calves, the empath released a low, threatening growl, her face getting hot as a second pair of eyes opened below her first pair.

How dare this outsider not only infringe upon the purple-haired Titan's privacy, but also her personal space?! No amount of inhuman will power could stop her from—

Wait, wait, wait… Was that a slim arm being thrown over her side and warm, slender form pressing up against her back?

Raven's heart thudded dully against the inside of her chest and she tensed, the second pair of supernaturally glowing eyes closing and disappearing entirely.

How…? With just a simple embrace, how had the blonde managed to diffuse the annoyance bubbling in her blood?

"I won our bet fair and square, Raven," a voice husky with sleepiness said into her ear. "So you get to be my teddy for the night."

"…"

There was a yawn and Terra rested her forehead against the empath's back, her calm state of mind easing into the ashen-skinned girl's muscles and forcing her to relax a smidge.

While her mind was reeling by this turn of events, Raven nearly missed the quiet, "'Night, Raven," that was whispered into the dark over the roar of her own heartbeat.

* * *

' _Time flies when you're having fun,'_ as the saying goes. And, though she didn't like to admit it, Raven was actually… Enjoying her time with the slender blonde teen.

When the hell had that changed?

Pushing that disturbing realization to the back of her mind, the empath tucked an errant strand of violet behind her ear, casting an appraising eye over at the group of teens jostling each other and speaking in hushed tones. While she was fine with not being a part of the group, the young woman fidgeted restlessly as she sensed the approach of the one other person missing from their midst, her heart doing a little skip-hop that was just as disconcerting as her earlier contemplation.

If she was being brutally honest with herself, Raven… _liked_ Terra. Quite a lot. The blonde had somehow worked her way under the Titan's thick skin and found a home in what little warmth remained in her cold heart and that was simultaneously a terrible and wonderful feeling.

Part of her was terrified of what power the teen held in her delicate hands; it seemed as though she was utterly powerless against those big blue eyes. Part of her enjoyed the power the teen held in her delicate hands. Every acquiescence, no matter how small, left the ashen-skinned beauty filled with wonder and, on more than one occasion, _affection_.

Somehow, her utter disdain for the blonde had done a complete 180.

But then, Raven wasn't the only one who the girl had managed to win over. In fact, this moment was inevitable given how close to everyone the blonde young woman had become. _Everyone_ —even the cynical, purple-haired empath.

The door to the living room slid open and the lights flickered on—

" **Congratulations, Terra!** " the Titans (sans Raven) exclaimed at once, smiles all around.

—and Terra blinked, eyes going wide. "What's going on, guys?"

"You've been here for a while now…" Cyborg began.

"So we felt like you're, you know, _totally cool_ and we should make it official," Beastboy added.

The blank, bemused expression she assumed was startlingly like the customary one Raven wore and the empath's lips quirked at the corners.

"… Make _what_ official?"

Robin stepped forward and, the moment he held up the circular communicator the Titans all carried on their person at all times, realization flitted across lovely features. "Welcome to the Titans, Terra."

She reached out, hesitating when her fingertips were just shy of the device. "I… I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll fight for the good of our city." Robin gave a rare smile.

"I—" She stopped and nodded, taking the communicator from their leader's hand and clipping it to the waistband of her shorts. For a moment, Raven sensed the tumultuous swirl of emotion trapped behind that sheepish expression, but it was gone as soon as it had come.

Just what had she been thinking at that moment?

"This is AWESOME." The shapeshifter was grinning and, for some reason, the way he threw his arms around the blonde irritated Raven immensely. "I'm happy for you, Terra!"

"Same here," Cyborg crowed, grinning broadly. He tousled her hair and the empath's fingers twitched with the instinctive desire to push flaxen strands back to reveal the beautiful blue orb they concealed.

Alarming.

As Terra did so herself, she was beset by yet another hug—this one from the super-strong alien. She struggled to voice her thanks as the air was squeezed from her lungs and the purple-haired teen sighed, raising her hand and using a tendril of energy to take hold of several strands of long, ruby red hair and tug gently. Starfire blinked and, though the action didn't hurt, the momentary shift in her attention was enough for the blonde to slip out of her death grip.

The smile Raven received—a silent _"thank you"_ —made her look away, discomfited by the way her heartbeat seemed that much louder. She wasn't surprised that Terra knew who her rescuer was at this point as the earth-wielder had an uncanny habit of sensing these things, but she _was_ surprised by the flux of her emotions.

She hadn't meditated in a while. Yeah, that was it.

Not that she had had the chance to sit down and focus with the way Terra had capitalized upon her free time…

She knew better… And yet, she was elated. Thrilled by the prospect of having Terra join their team.

There was just one piece of the puzzle remaining.

Raven cleared her throat and the others actually quieted, looking to the stoic teen curiously. She knew without using her powers that they were surprised that she was actually taking a part in the festivities, much less addressing anyone, and that made the corners of her lips quirk imperceptibly upwards.

Above all, she felt the weight of the biggest, bluest eyes she had ever seen focused on her and, for some reason, that unwavering attention made her face feel hot. Was she… Was she _blushing?_

The astonished looks on her teammates' faces confirmed it.

Clearing her throat, this time in an attempt to dispel the heat in ashen cheeks, the purple-haired Titan began, "I have a gift for our new addition as well."

The excitement on Terra's face made her feel… Not uneasy, but _anxious_.

Since when did she care what the blonde thought?

…

Darkness surrounded them, its inky breadth studded with gently gleaming stars that had been painstakingly painted in splashes of silver and varying shades of blue and white to create an entire little galaxy. There was a large, circular bed at the center of the room, its sheets a deep blue, and other various pieces of furniture pushed up against the walls, but the girl didn't even seem to notice them.

For a moment, Terra only gaped, her expression utterly blank, and Raven fidgeted, unsure now that her gift would be warmly received. Then, the blonde turned and threw her arms around the taller girl, startling the Titan with both the gesture and the vision that filled her mind's eye:

 _/ "I love it out here." She gestured expansively and, though there was a smile on her face, Raven could sense the sadness behind the expression. "For a while, this has been my only home, you know?"_

 _The empath tilted her head back, joining her companion in admiring the stretch of darkness and the twinkling orbs of silvery light that interrupted it._

 _She should have corrected the girl when she suggested that the Tower was her home now. She should have asked when the wanderer would be hitting the road again. She should have—_

" _Hey, Raven…?"_

" _Mm?"_

 _She flinched when the warm weight of the blonde's head settled in her lap; stiffened when a brave, delicate hand rested over her own, threading its fingers through hers._

" _Can I stay like this for a little while?"_

 _She should have said 'no'. She should have shaken the other girl off. She should have—_

"… _yeah." /_

The pair separated quickly, retreating to a safe distance to eye each other warily.

"Did you just…?" She was breathing hard.

Raven nodded, but offered no explanation as to what they had both (?) seen. She wasn't quite sure herself.

"I remember that night."

So they _had_ both seen it. Why?

"I do, too."

"I know you don't like me, but…" Her cheeks went red and, for a moment, Raven could only stare blankly. The indecision she was sensing in waves was very unlike the Terra she had come to know over the past few days and it was soon explained in the form of the blonde girl leaning forward and gently—oh so gently—placing a kiss on the empath's lips. " _I_ like _you_ , Raven."

The taller girl recoiled, her hand going to her lips as her expression went automatically blank.

 _Terra…_

"Sorry…" She was overwhelmed by the flood of emotions—guilt, elation, worry; too many to pinpoint—that assailed her, but above all the Titan was taken by one in particular. Or, rather, the lack thereof: regret.

This was not something Terra had decided on the fly and, since she had her mind entirely made up, it was something that she had done willing to face the consequences of her actions.

Before the blonde could continue, Raven closed the gap between them, her eyelids fluttering shut as their lips met for the second time.

 _Sweet Azarath…_

It felt… right to kiss Terra. It felt… good. And it took the empath to realize that she was _purring_ —the pleased rumble so unlike the threatening growls that sometimes bubbled beneath her breast. She pressed closer to the slender form before her, seeking to further the pleasurable contact, her breath hitching as the blonde mirrored the action. Warm, soft flesh grew warmer still beneath her roaming hands and she arched eagerly as her partner's own exploration lead to the front of her form-fitting leotard and the full, malleable peaks it held captive.

"Raven…" the soft whimper cut through the empath's self-control more quickly than she would have liked, had she the presence of mind to notice such a thing, and the low purr intensified as the purple-haired Titan walked the younger girl backwards, pushing her down onto the plush surface of the bed and straddling slender hips.

She was burning up and the glazed, unfocused look in azure orbs as the blonde looked up at her wasn't helping matters in the least. She wanted the girl. Badly.

"Terra—"

The sounds of their teammates' approach echoed down the narrow corridor, pulling them from their own little world, and the duo quickly righted themselves, a rosy hue on Terra's cheeks as she cleared her throat and played with her hands, raising her voice to respond to their inquiries.

Raven drew her hood back up, concealing her own blush, but it was far too late to raise her defensive walls and hide the way she felt about the newest Titan.

It seemed this little security breach had become so much more.

It would be weeks before Terra's betrayal. Weeks before the trust that the two shared was shattered with no hope of ever being repaired.

It would be incredibly painful despite the fact that this was a very real possibility that Raven had considered from the get-go. Because _possibility_ never quite prepares you for _reality_.

Still, she knew better… She should have known…

When the time came and the blonde appeared at the side of her master—their sworn enemy—Raven felt a sharp, pain blossom beneath her breast and she actually had to glance down to make sure that blood wasn't staining her leotard.

" _I like you, Raven."_

Her chest constricted painfully and the purple-haired Titan gritted her teeth, raising hands glowing inky black with telekinetic powers and mentally preparing herself for the battle that was to come.

 _Why…_

As if she had spoken aloud, her teammate-turned-enemy glanced over at her and, within endless blue, Raven saw…

Every moment. Every touch. Every intrusion upon her privacy.

In that moment, the alien-demon hybrid realized that, no matter where her loyalties lay…

Pale lips curved into a smile that didn't quite reach azure orbs and Terra strode right past the rest of her team, who were locked in furious combat with Slade's other lackeys, her gaze locked on the purple-haired empath.

" _I like you, Raven."_

…There was no way she could fight.

A bolt of umber shot out, latching onto the slim teen's ankle and holding her fast.

But then, she couldn't very well give up either—

Terra's eyes widened and, before she could even react, her opponent was upon her, four crimson eyes burning bright as she snarled a war cry.

—Not until she knocked some sense into the girl.

 _ **lll**_

So, there we have it. Please leave comments below!


End file.
